“Deadbeat” parent round-ups are continuing in Chicago (I criticized these a few weeks ago in my co-authored column Most Illinois ‘Deadbeats’ Aren’t ‘Reprehensible’ — They’re Broke , Chicago Daily Southtown, 6/20/07).
Perhaps one reason for these raids is that local sheriff Mark Curran (pictured), who is launching the raids, happens to be married to the head of the state’s child support enforcement. Seems like a conflict of interest to me–because of the personal connection, he has more motivation to commit resources to making arrests on child support warrants as opposed to other warrants. Curran’s public email address is Sheriff@co.lake.il.us.ÂÂ
One of the “deadbeats” they arrested apparently ran into some money, but in general most “deadbeat dads” don’t have two nickels to rub together.
Deadbeat parent roundups to continue
July 3, 2007
By Jim Newton
Sheriff Mark Curran warned Monday that his office will continue to pool resources with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office to target child-support scofflaws.
Curran said deadbeat parents will continue to be targeted in operations such as a sweep last week that led to the arrest of six alleged child-support violators.
Curran said investigators with his office have been designated to team up with officials of the state’s attorney’s office to continue to pursue non-payment cases.
“We know who they are,” he said of the violators. “By pooling up, we have more people who can strap on armor (and conduct sweeps).”
There are currently about 300 outstanding warrants in Lake County for failure to pay child support, according to Irene Curran, head of the State’s Attorney’s Child Support Division. She is the wife of the sheriff.
Arrested last week on contempt of court charges for failure to pay child support were Rodney Calvert of Waukegan, Thomas Pitts of North Chicago, Willie Pope of North Chicago, Larry Usher of North Chicago, Riccardo Wyche of North Chicago and Daniel Young of North Chicago.
Officials said Usher was carrying $10,000 in cash when he was arrested. He was only required to post $3,000 of that money as bail, Irene Curran said, but added that her office would petition to increase his child support payments.
“He obviously has found some source of income,” she said.
The North Chicago Police Department and the Metropolitan Enforcement Group assisted in the sweep, which took place Wednesday.
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